The Wickham Skinner Awards are intended to encourage POM scholarship and publication, to promote significant research in the field, to reward academics who have achieved unusually high accomplishment early in their careers, and to facilitate the sharing of innovative new ideas about teaching POM. Read Details.

Papers presented at the POMS' annual conference in a given year and those under review by Production and Operations Management were eligible for this award from 2001 to 2009. However, beginning in year 2010, the award are given for the best paper published in Production and Operations Management during the previous year. Papers are judged on overall quality with careful attention given to both relevance and rigor.

An Early Career Researcher is defined as someone who has received a doctoral degree (or its equivalent outside of the U.S.A.) within the previous six years. Work published (or formally accepted for publication) or presented at a conference within the six years eligibility period is considered in the evaluation process if properly documented. The judges evaluate the impact of the body of work in terms of its ability to broaden, extend, and alter the way that POM is conceptualized, practiced, and viewed.

The purpose of this award is to recognize impact and innovation in Production and Operations Management instruction. In their evaluation of the materials submitted, the judges give primary attention to: (1) evidence of pedagogical excellence, (2) evidence of creativity and/or innovation and (3) evidence of impact.